The invention relates to a substrate for a solid-state laser based on organic and/or inorganic laser material and to a solid-state laser, in which the substrate consists of thermoplastic or thermoset and is structured on at least one surface, the structured surface of the substrate having a periodic surface profile.
Solutions of fluorescent molecules in organic solvents have been used in dye lasers for many years. The fluorescent molecules used are distinguished by a high fluorescent efficiency, a wide tuning range, and the fact that they are very stable against oxidation and are easy to process. Dye lasers have become widely accepted and used worldwide. They are primarily employed when intense collimated monochromatic light is to be supplied with the possibility of tuning it in a wide wavelength range. Examples of dye lasers are described in Schxc3xa4fer F. P. (ed.), Dye Lasers, 2nd Ed., Topics in Applied Physics, Vol. 1 (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, N.Y. 1978).
Disadvantages with dye lasers are that there is little possibility of scale reduction, they are expensive to produce, it is comparatively difficult to process the dye solutions used in the dye lasers and the problems with disposing of these solutions.
At the same time, construction and alignment of the optical resonator is intricate and requires experienced personnel. These disadvantages prevent the use of dye lasers on a mass-produced scale, as laser diodes made of inorganic material have in optoelectronic applications over recent years.
The discovery of electroluminescence in polymer layers (cf. e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,190) and molecular layers deposited using vacuum techniques (cf. e.g. Patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,432 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,507) and the work prompted by these have aroused great interest in organic light-emitting diodes intended to be used in the field of optoelectronics. The progress made in recent years with the development of organic light-emitting diodes is likely to yield a commercial application in the near future. The initial difficulties with rapid ageing of organic light-emitting diodes have been satisfactorily solved by optimizing the multilayer structure, refining the cathodes and improved encapsulation. One first broad field of application for organic light-emitting diodes will be the field of luminescent displays and background lighting panels.
The increase in efficiency achieved with organic light-emitting diodes has made it likely that organic laser diodes, which can be excited to emit light by applying an electric field, will be developed in the near future. Organic laser diodes differ from organic light-emitting diodes in that they involve amplified spontaneous emission. The consequence of this is that organic laser diodes can emit collimated polarized light. The emitted light furthermore has a narrow bandwidth compared with its wavelength, and the radiation density is higher than in organic light-emitting diodes.
In electrically or optically excited lasers, special substrates can be used to lower the lasing threshold and define the emission wavelength. With inorganic lasers (semiconductor lasers), it has been found particularly suitable to use substrates which form a DBR (Distributed Bragg Reflector) or a DFB (Distributed Feedback) laser. A factor common to both substrates is that they have a periodic structure, the period being of the order of the wavelength of visible light, i.e. about 200-2000 nm.
The periodic structure in DBR substrates consists of a multilayer system in which thin films having different refractive indices are applied alternately to a transparent plane-parallel substrate. This structure was first proposed by I. P. Katinov et al., Appt. Phys. Lett., 18, 497-499, (1971). With DBR substrates, the amplified light emission is perpendicular to the substrate surface. Such substrates are used to make VCSELs (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers), as described in xe2x80x9cJewell et al.; Scientific American, November 1991xe2x80x9d. In technical terms, DBRs are produced by successive vacuum deposition of individual inorganic metal oxide layers such as SiO2 and TiO2. This process is elaborate and cost-intensive.
Conversely, DFB substrates have a periodically structured surface. In DFB lasers, the amplified light emission is parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the periodic structure, as described in Kogelnik, H. Shank, C. V. xe2x80x9cStimulated Emission in a Periodic Structurexe2x80x9d, Appl. Phys. Lett. 18, 152-54 (1971). In technical terms, the periodic surface structure is formed by photolithographically etching inorganic substrates, so that an alternating sequence of ridges and furrows in formed in the substrate. This photolithographic etching process is elaborate and expensive.
There is therefore a requirement to develop a substrate for a solid-state laser, which can be produced straightforwardly and which, in particular, is suitable for use in lasers having organic laser material.
The object is achieved according to the invention by a substrate for a solid-state laser based on organic and/or inorganic laser material, which forms the subject-matter of the invention and is characterized in that the substrate consists of thermoplastic or thermoset and is structured on at least one surface, and in that the structured surface of the substrate has a periodic surface profile.
In particular, the substrate has periodically arranged ridges and troughs on its structured surface in at least one cross section through the substrate, the period being from 50 to 10,000 nm, preferably from 80 nm to 10,000 nm, particularly preferably from 80 nm to 5000 nm and quite particularly preferably between 100 nm and 5000 nm.
The substrate preferably has lateral periodicity in at least one direction in space, the number of periods being at least 5, preferably at least 10.
In a preferred embodiment, the depth of the surface profile is from 1 nm to 100 xcexcm, preferably from 5 nm to 30 xcexcm.
The profile of the periodic surface structure is arbitrary. Suitable examples are periodic geometrical profiles, in a cross section through the surface of the substrate, such as a sinusoidal, rectangular, trapezoidal or sawtoothed profile or a combination of these profile shapes. Pyramidal structures are also possible. Rectangular and trapezoidal profiles are particularly suitable.
The period of the ridges and troughs is not limited to a single period length (wavelength). Superposition or juxtaposition of up to 100 periodic profiles with different period lengths is also suitable. It is particularly suitable to superpose up to 10 periodic profiles with different period lengths.
The plastic for the substrate is preferably a plastic selected from the following list: polycarbonate, poly(methyl)acrylate, (meth)acrylate copolymers, polystyrene and styrene copolymer, poly-xcex1-methylstyrenes, acrylonitrile polymer, styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer, ABS, vinylpolymer, poly(cyclo)olefin, polysulphone, polyether sulphone, polyester, polyester carbonate, polyether carbonate, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylcarbazole.
Further examples of suitable thermoplastics and/or thermosets are described in the xe2x80x9cEncyclopaedia of Polymer Science and Engineeringxe2x80x9d, 2nd Edition, John Wiley and Sons, and in Hans Domininghaus, xe2x80x9cDie Kunstoffe und ihre Eigenschaftenxe2x80x9d [Plastics and their Properties] 4th Edition 1992, VDI-Verlag GmbH, Dxc3xcsseldorf. All transparent plastics can in general be used.
Suitable thermosets include, in particular, reactive resins in which a periodic surface profile can be formed by casting, compression moulding, injection moulding or reactive injection moulding and photopolymerization on at least one of the surfaces of the substrate. All the materials which can be processed using the methods described above are suitable as reactive resins, in particular those which exhibit little reduction in volume during the reaction.
The substrate can be produced using a variety of methods, in particular by injection moulding, hot press moulding, casting, compression moulding, reactive injection moulding, photopolymerization or laser ablation.
The production methods for thermoplastic or thermoset substrates are more cost-effective compared with the production methods for conventional substrates, and in particular are suitable for mass production.
The substrates according to the invention will also be referred to below as a thermoplastic or thermoset DFB substrate.
A thermoplastic DFB substrate according to the invention can be produced by transferring a surface profile defined in a die by injection moulding or hot press moulding to the thermoplastic substrate. It is possible to transfer surface structures having the aforementioned dimensions using thermoplastics, which can for example in principle be demonstrated by the similar production of a recordable compact disc (blank). (The blank has, for example, a typical difference between ridges and troughs of 150 nm, a trapezoidal profile and a period of 1600 nm).
A thermoset DFB substrate according to the invention can also be produced by fixing a surface profile defined in a die in a medium (reactive resin) whose curing is initiated thermally, chemically or photochemically. It is likewise possible to transfer surface structures having the aforementioned dimensions, which can in principle be demonstrated for example by the similar production of a double-layer digital versatile disc (DVD). One of these has, for example, a typical difference between ridges and troughs of 80 nm, a trapezoidal pit profile and a period of 780 nm. Further examples of moulding methods which are basically suitable can be found in Haisma, J. Verheijen, M. van den Heuvel, K. van den Berg, J. xe2x80x9cMold-assisted nanolithography: A process for reliable pattern replicationxe2x80x9d, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B (146), November/December 1996.
The dies can be produced using basically known methods, such as photoresist, non-photoresist and direct-metal patterning as described in Pohlmann, K. xe2x80x9cCompact Disc Handbuchxe2x80x9d, [Compact Disc Handbook], IWT Verlag GmbH Vaterstetten near Munich (1994).
The invention also relates to a solid-state laser based on organic and/or inorganic laser material consisting at least of a substrate structured on its surface and a layer of an organic and/or inorganic laser material applied to the structured substrate, characterized in that the structured substrate consists of thermoplastic or thermoset, and in that the surface structure of the substrate has a periodic surface profile.
The thermoplastic or thermoset DFB substrate according to the invention can be used to make a laser from organic and/or inorganic laser material.
A preferred embodiment of the solid-state laser is characterized in that the substrate is a substrate according to the invention and the laser material is applied to the structured surface of the substrate.
The structured surface is preferably provided with an additional inorganic, in particular metallic, intermediate layer.
The intermediate layer consists in particular of a metal from the following list: aluminium, silver, copper, magnesium and gold, or of an oxide from the following list: titanium dioxide, aluminium oxide, silicon dioxide and indium tin oxide.
Distinction can be made between two different possible structures of a preferred solid-state laser, which depend on the type of laser excitation (i.e. by the pumping process).
1. Optically Pumped Organic Lasers:
In the case of an optically pumped organic laser, the structure may be as represented in FIG. 5a: one or more organic layers, of which at least one layer is photoluminescent, are applied to the periodic height profile of the DFB substrate according to the invention. The individual layers can be applied by known methods, for example pouring, spin coating, laminating or thermal deposition. Further layers, for example vacuum-deposited metal or insulator layers, may be arranged between the organic layer system and the thermoplastic DFB substrate. Layer thicknesses of 2-10,000 nm, preferably 10-5000 nm, are suitable. The organic layer system has, in particular, a thickness of 5-50,000 nm, preferably 10-20,000 nm, particularly preferably 10-10,000 nm. A semitransparent metal layer may be applied as a reflection layer to the organic layer system.
The organic laser is optically excited (pumped) by for example focusing laser light from an excitation laser using a cylindrical lens perpendicular to the periodic ridges. The light emission from the organic laser then emerges at the end faces, parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the periodic structure.
2. Electrically Pumped Organic Lasers:
In the case of an electrically pumped organic laser, the structure may be as represented in FIG. 5b: an electrode is applied to the periodic height profile of a DFB substrate according to the invention. This electrode may consist of a transparent conductive oxide (e.g. ITO) or of a vacuum-deposited metal layer. Layer thicknesses of 2-10,000 nm, preferably 10-5000 nm are suitable. One or more organic layers are applied to this electrode, one of the layers being photoluminescent. The individual layers may be applied either using known methods, for example by pouring, spin coating, laminating or pressure, or by thermal deposition.
To provide the other electrode, a metal layer or a transparent conductive oxide (e.g. ITO) is applied to this organic layer system. The layer thickness of the organic layer system between the electrodes is 5-5000 nm, preferably 10-2000 nm, particularly preferably 20-1000 nm.
The organic laser is electrically excited by applying an electric voltage to the two electrodes, which makes a current flow through the organic layer system. The emission emerges at the end faces parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the periodic structures.
A preferred solid-state laser is characterized in that it has at least one lasing layer, which fully or partially comprises an organic material and has photofluorescent properties. Suitable materials are ones which can preferably be applied to the substrate in the form of a solution, such as conjugated polymers, e.g. poly(phenylenevinylenes), substituted poly(phenylenevinylenes) MEH-PPV, poly(phenylenevinylene copolymers), poly(paraphenylenes), poly(thiophenes) or main-chain and side-chain polymers having photofluorescent units, e.g. distyrylenes, and furthermore mixtures of polymer binders e.g. polystyrene, polycarbonate, PMMA with fluorescent compounds, e.g. coumarins, perylenes, phthalocyanines or other fluorescent oligomers, e.g. phenylenevinylenes, or with fluorescent inorganic compounds, e.g. CdS, CdSe. Other suitable materials include ones which can be vapour-deposited on the substrate or applied from solution, such as low molecular-weight fluorescent compounds, e.g. coumarins, perylenes, phthalocyanines, stilbenes, distilbenes or metal complexes, e.g. tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium.
The laser according to the invention can be used wherever collimated intense monochromatic polarized light is needed. A particular advantage of organic laser diodes is the possibility of applying the light-emitting layers using simpler and therefore more economical processes, such as vapour deposition and coating. This method leads to considerably lower production costs. A further advantage is that, with organic laser diodes, the wavelength of the laser emission can be adjusted within the wide-spectrum emission bands of the organic material, as with dye lasers, and is not limited to just one wavelength.
Because it is straightforward to produce, the thermoplastic or thermoset substrate with a periodic surface structure according to the invention can be used as a cost-effective substrate for organic DFB lasers. In particular, it is suitable for mass production. The DFB structure of the thermoplastic or thermoset substrate permits well-defined selection of the wavelengths of the emitted light, reduction of the FWHM (full width at half maximum) of the emitted light and unexpectedly leads to a reduction in the laser threshold.